Afghanistan: Detainees

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether individuals detained by United Kingdom Armed Forces in Afghanistan will be transferred to the detention centre at Bagram, Afghanistan; and, if so, under what circumstances.

Lord Drayson: The UK does not plan to transfer detainees to the detention facility at Bagram.

Afghanistan: Detainees

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What provisions have been put in place to ensure that a full and accurate record of any person detained by United Kingdom Armed Forces in Afghanistan is made and kept showing inter alia the circumstances of the detention and the destination of that person on leaving United Kingdom custody; and
	What provisions have been put in place to ensure that information on persons detained by United Kingdom Armed Forces in Afghanistan is made available when requested.

Lord Drayson: Arrangements have been put in place to ensure that all those detained by UK Armed Forces in Afghanistan are accurately recorded in terms of the circumstances of their arrest, location, next of kin (where that information is available) and subsequent location on leaving UK custody. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) field workers in Afghanistan will be told of any detention by UK Armed Forces within 24 hours, or as soon as is practical. The National Information Bureau in the Ministry of Defence will submit a report to the ICRC in Geneva every seven days. Detailed information on those detained is not shared with outside parties in accordance with the policy of maintaining confidentiality.

Agriculture: Animal Feed

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to Regulation 4 of the Official Feed and Food Controls (England) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/15), whether they will issue guidance on how competent authorities should observe commercial confidentiality in the operation of this clause.

Lord Warner: The Food Standards Agency has responsibility for the Official Feed and Food Controls (England) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/15). Guidance for local and port health authorities on disclosure of information generally is included in a statutory Food Law Code of Practice (England) to be issued shortly and will also be included in a Feed Law Code of Practice which is currently being developed.

Agriculture: Animal Feed

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In relation to Regulation 5 of the Official Feed and Food Controls (England) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/15), which entities qualify as "control bodies".

Lord Warner: The Food Standards Agency has responsibility for the Official Feed and Food Controls (England) Regulations 2006 (SI 2006/15). "Control bodies" are independent third parties to which the competent authorities may, under specified conditions, delegate certain official control tasks such as inspections or analysis of samples (tasks relating to formal enforcement action where non-compliance with legal requirements has been found may not be delegated). Most of the "control bodies" currently employed by United Kingdom authorities are privately owned laboratories carrying out chemical analysis or microbiological examination of feed or food for local authority enforcement services, or local government laboratories carrying out work for other authorities on a commercial basis.

Agriculture: EU Budget

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will use discretionary funding measures in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs budget for 2006–07 to counteract the loss of financial support for small farmers arising from the effects of the Voluntary National Modulation formulae and the restrictions imposed by the Rural Development Agency following the European Council long-term budget adjustments, agreed on 16 December 2005.

Lord Bach: Financial year 2006–07 sees the crossover between the current and successor England rural development programmes on 1 January 2007.
	In 2006, rural development spending will relate to the current England rural development programme. This will include expenditure from voluntary national modulation on the environmental stewardship scheme. All farmers, large or small, are able to apply for funding under this scheme.
	Decisions regarding the use of national voluntary modulation and any associated national match funding for the successor rural development programme have yet to be taken. These decisions will be influenced by the public consultation that Defra has recently launched on rural development priorities for 2007–13 and further information is available on Defra's website at www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/rdp07–13/default.htm.

Agriculture: Traditional Farm Buildings

The Duke of Montrose: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many schemes for the repair of traditional farm buildings they propose to initiate following the success of such schemes in the Lake District environmentally sensitive area.

Lord Bach: The renovation of traditional farm buildings is covered by the agri-environment schemes, whose objectives are to support landscape conservation and the historical environment.
	An option to renovate traditional farm buildings is currently available in the higher level component of environmental stewardship. This is open to all land managers who meet local targeting criteria, including the historic environment. Entry is voluntary and the choice of scheme options is agreed with each applicant.

Armed Forces: Recruitment Age

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 16 January (WA 89–90), why recruits who joined the Armed Forces prior to their 18th birthday do not enjoy the full right of discharge during their period of adult reckonable service; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 16 January (WA 89–90), how many individuals under 18 years of age who have registered "clear unhappiness" have been denied discharge from the Armed Forces; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 16 January (WA 89–90), what guidance is offered to commanding officers on whether unhappy minors wishing to leave the Armed Forces before their 18th birthday should or should not be given discretionary permission to leave.

Lord Drayson: As I explained to the noble Lord in my previous Answer, service personnel aged under 18 years have their reckonable service taken from their 18th birthday. From that point they enjoy exactly the same rights of discharge as those who joined the services after their 18th birthday. Furthermore, and as detailed in my earlier Answer, service personnel aged under 18 years three months enjoy an additional right in that those who have passed their statutory six-month period for "discharge as of right" and have registered before reaching their 18th birthday "clear unhappiness" at their choice of career can request permission to leave the Armed Forces.
	Individuals under 18 years of age who have registered clear unhappiness are allowed to leave; they are not denied from doing so. There will be circumstances when a final decision may be deferred. Every effort is made to ensure that individuals have fully considered their decision and they will usually be encouraged to stay.
	Guidance for commanding officers on granting unhappy under-18 service personnel permission to leave the Armed Forces is contained within Queen's Regulations (QR) and individual service publications. For example, all Army commanding officers have access to a handbook that gives instruction on the care of service personnel under 18 years of age which contains a section on "the right to leave the Armed Forces" which refers to the relevant QR paragraph.

Armed Forces: Recruitment Age

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Drayson on 10 January (WA 32), whether special provisions are made to explain to young recruits of low reading age the nature of the commitment that they are undertaking in entering the Armed Forces.

Lord Drayson: Staff at recruiting offices are trained and fully able to explain to all applicants, regardless of reading ability, what is required of the individual and the nature of the commitment they would be undertaking. Each recruiter judges an individual's ability and eligibility to be able to join, pass initial training, and serve in the Armed Forces.
	As explained in my earlier reply, parents/guardians of applicants aged under 18 years are encouraged to attend at the reception, initial briefings and attestation. In addition, all under-18s must have the formal written approval of their parents/guardians before being allowed to enter the recruit selection process.

Biosecurity: Global Network

Baroness Greenfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the Globalization, Biosecurity, and the Future of the Life Sciences report from the United States Institute of Medicine; and whether they have any plans to support United Kingdom scientists in the proposed global biosecurity network.

Lord Warner: The Government are committed to protecting the health of the United Kingdom's population and global biosecurity mechanisms play an important part in this approach. The report from the United States Institute of Medicine has not been formally received by the Department of Health for consideration, but we will continue to work with our international partners to ensure effective biosecurity.

Burma: Students

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have provided any assistance to education in Burma; and whether they provide any support for Burmese students seeking English-language training or higher education overseas.

Baroness Amos: DfID is currently considering options for support to basic education in Burma, but has not yet started any assistance.
	The FCO, through the Chevening scholarship programme, provides assistance for a small number of Burmese students to obtain British qualifications at UK universities or through distance learning. The British Council maintains a teaching centre in Rangoon providing English-language training to fee-paying students and a large number of bursary-assisted students. The council also supports the work of local English-language teachers.

Child Protection

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What steps have been taken to ensure that adequate measures are in place to regulate the employment of people with a conviction or caution for a sexual offence that has taken place outside the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom in jobs that involve working with children in Northern Ireland; and whether any individuals meet this criterion.

Lord Rooker: Accessing international criminal records for the purposes of employment checking is a complex issue as uniform legislative and technological standards do not apply across the globe. The Government recognise that with increased mobility in the workforce, this is a critical issue and are determined to ensure the most robust systems possible are in place to protect the vulnerable.
	As part of this, the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety and the Department of Education regulate positions and organisations that involve working with children and require that criminal records checks take place before a person may be appointed to such positions. Under this process applicants are required to provide details of all of their previous addresses within the past five years. In addition, all applicants are also asked to provide addresses if they have ever lived elsewhere apart from Northern Ireland.
	In the first instance, criminal records checks for employers in Northern Ireland are carried out by a specialist unit within the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Where applicants have a previous address in the Republic of Ireland, PSNI is able to contact the authorities there directly in order to secure access to the necessary criminal records.
	Where an applicant has an address outside the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland the Criminal Records Bureau offers an overseas advice service which provides details and guidance to employers and individuals on how to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a copy of a certificate of good conduct or a copy of a person's own criminal record from certain overseas destinations. This service is currently available through a fax-back facility. From 10 April 2006, the information currently available from the fax-back service will transfer to the CRB website.
	My honourable friend the Member for Basildon and East Thurrock, in response to a previous Parliamentary Question from the honourable Member for North Down, asked the employing authorities (that is, the Education and Library Boards, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, and voluntary grammar, Irish-medium, grant-maintained integrated and independent schools which employ their staff directly) to check their records and to inform her whether there is any person currently in employment in any capacity in a grant-aided school who is required to notify their details to the police service as a sex offender, or who has a history of sex offending. This process confirmed that there are three persons, none of them teaching staff, with a conviction for a sexual offence who are currently working in schools; none of these persons is on a sex offenders register as all the offences were committed over 15 years ago. In one case the offence was against a minor and involved a girl who was just under age; in the other two cases the offence was against an adult female. In each case the employing authority knew of the conviction through the pre-employment check and took professional advice. The advice was, in each case, that the person was not a risk to children, and so employment was offered. The employing authorities remain satisfied that these persons do not pose a risk to children. None of these offences was committed outside the UK.
	Turning to the national context, the Government have agreed to the EU Council decision on exchange of criminal conviction information between EU jurisdictions. This will involve the establishment of a UK central authority to manage and process requests and data. The information received by way of this mechanism will improve the quality of employment checks in this regard.
	More widely, the CRB has been working in line with the recommendations of the Bichard inquiry further to improve access to the records of persons from overseas. Special projects have been established with countries from which significant numbers of employees migrate such as Australia and South Africa to agree arrangements for bilateral checks.
	Full details of the breadth of work in this area are provided in Bichard Inquiry Recommendations: Second Progress Report, presented to Parliament in November 2005.
	Finally, I should like to take this opportunity to highlight an important point. Criminal records disclosures should only form part of overall employment process. It is crucial that employers also carry out rigorous checking of other aspects of a person's history such as identity, qualifications and references.

Civil Service: Religious Societies

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 13 February (WA 131), why Sir Gus O'Donnell is an ambassador for the Civil Service Islamic Society rather than simply a patron of that organisation; and what are his ambassadorial duties.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: There is no distinction between the roles. Sir Gus O'Donnell's association with the society involves providing high-level support to a valuable staff network, which operates in line with the Civil Service code and Civil Service values. Similarly, Sir Gus supports the role and activity of other staff networks in the Civil Service and will participate in a range of events throughout the year to celebrate the diversity of Civil Service staff and promote diversity within the Civil Service.

Civil Service: Religious Societies

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 20 January (WA 133), whether Sheikh Riyadh Ul-Haq was invited to attend a reception hosted by Sir Gus O'Donnell on 18 January; and, if so, by whom.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: Sheikh Riyadh Ul-Haq was not extended an invitation by the Cabinet Secretary or anyone in the Cabinet Office and did not attend this internal Civil Service event.

Conservation Areas

Lord Fearn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which body decides the areas to be designated as conservation areas; and whether local authorities are responsible for these areas in terms of planning applications.

Baroness Andrews: Local planning authorities are, in the first instance, responsible for the designation of conservation areas and deciding planning applications for those areas. The Secretary of State, my right honourable friend the Deputy Prime Minister, has reserve powers to designate a conservation area and has the power to direct that certain planning applications are referred to him.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many United Nations peacekeepers are stationed in the south-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what assessment they have made of their ability to deal with the violence there.

Lord Triesman: The UN peacekeeping mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) comprises 16,820 total uniformed personnel, of whom 800 troops are stationed in the south-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Another 750 are due to arrive in March.
	We agree with the UN Secretary-General's report of 28 December which acknowledged that pockets of instability persist in this region and that the security situation remains fragile. MONUC's mandate is to support Les Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) Congolese Government forces in their operations against the militia, rather than undertake the operations alone. We fully support MONUC in its work to robustly implement its mandate.

Department for Transport: Departmental Travel

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much officials and Ministers of the Department for Transport have spent on (a) air travel; (b) train travel; (c) taxi fares; (d) bus travel; and (e) other forms of transport, in each year since the department was established in 2002.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Figures for the central department are available only from the beginning of the 2003–04 financial year, when the department's accounts were separated from those of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. For earlier years, information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The department's agencies account and record their expenditure in different ways, with differing degrees of detailed breakdown. These are reflected in the tables provided below.
	Official travel in the department and agencies is carried out in support of operational and management requirements, and in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code.
	VOSA's staff principal travel relates to operational requirements for operator visits to carry out enforcement and testing functions.
	HA staff travel is connected with its responsibility for the management and maintenance of strategic road network, including traffic officers patrolling the motorways to reduce congestion, other staff visiting all parts of the motorway and trunk road network in connection with their duties, and travel between the agency's regional offices, and the premises of other parties such as contractors who work on the network.
	DSA staff travel is carried out in support of DfT, DVO and other central government functions, in connection with the operational deployment of examiners between the network of driving test centres, and operational management and training travel between the HQ, the five area offices and the training facility at Cardington.
	VCA staff travel costs relate to engineers travelling to carry out accreditation testing duties. These are operational costs recharged to customers. Most travel in MCA relates to attendance at off-site meetings.
	
		2002–03
		
			  Air Rail Taxi Bus Bus/Taxi Bus/Coach/Tube/Ferry Total Travel Total Travel & Subs 
			 DfT(c) 
			 DSA 
			 MCA2,335,520 
			 HA   2,671,849 
			 VOSA 
			 GCDA210,384 
			 DVLA 112,189 198,777   25,916 
			 VCA 
		
	
	
		2003–04
		
			  Air Rail Taxi Bus Bus/Taxi Bus/Coach/Tube/Ferry Total Travel Total Travel & Subs 
			 DfT(c) 1,376,194 849,984 87,163   13,792 
			 DSA 32,000 91,000 5,000 2,000 
			 MCA2,764,779 
			 HA   3,521,360 
			 VOSA 
			 GCDA254,551 
			 DVLA 141,097 285,396   36,983 
			 VCA   315,197 
		
	
	
		2004–05
		
			  Air Rail Taxi Bus Bus/Taxi Bus/Coach/Tube/Ferry Total Travel Total Travel & Subs 
			 DfT(c) 1,234,434 1,003,847 98,299   18,253 
			 DSA 51,000 101,000 7,000 2,000 
			 MCA3,161,793 
			 HA   4,391,254 
			 VOSA 
			 GCDA260,037 
			 DVLA 167,746 383,851   42,525 
			 VCA   367,794 
		
	
	
		2005–06
		
			  Air Rail Taxi Bus Bus/Taxi Bus/Coach/Tube/Ferry Total Travel Total Travel & Subs 
			 DfT(c) 1,158,866 949,402 75,223   12,833 
			 DSA 68,000 121,000 7,000 2,000 
			 MCA 
			 HA   3,472,349 
			 VOSA 
			 GCDA 
			 DVLA 
			 VCA

Electoral Commission

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 16 February (WA 191), whether any member of the Electoral Commission is or has been in breach of Section 3 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: I am not aware of any evidence to suggest that any electoral commissioner is not qualified to hold that office.

Energy: Coal-fired Power Stations

Lord Wade of Chorlton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there are regulations on the clearing of the sites of coal-fired electricity generating power stations, and related fly ash deposits, once a power station has been closed down or converted to gas burning; and, if they are not currently in force, when they intend to introduce them.

Lord Bach: The operator of each existing electricity generating power station, whether fired by coal or any other fuel, with a rated thermal input of 50 megawatts or more has to apply to the Environment Agency by 31 March 2006 for a permit under the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000. Permits issued in response will contain conditions relating to the environmental protection of the site of the installation during its operational life and to the restoration of the site to a satisfactory state thereafter. The permit cannot be surrendered until the Environment Agency is satisfied that the site has been so restored.
	Such power stations currently have an authorisation from the Environment Agency under the Environmental Protection Act 1991 which may contain conditions relevant to the environmental protection of the site.

Food

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the European Union Commission's proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on nutrition and health claims made on foods (COM/2003/0424 final).

Lord Warner: The Government welcome the proposed regulation as a means of harmonising rules on nutrition and health claims to facilitate the free movement of goods within the internal market, whilst protecting consumers from false and misleading claims.
	During the Second Reading of the proposal, the Government will seek a regulation that provides consumer protection but that is proportionate and does not place unnecessary burdens on businesses.

Government Computer Systems: DfID

Lord Harris of Haringey: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On how many occasions in each of the past two years malicious programs have compromised computer systems in the Department for International Development; and for each such occasion (a) how many machines were affected; (b) how long it took to remove the programs from the system; and (c) what the impact was on the activities of the department.

Baroness Amos: In the past two years, the computer systems at the Department for International Development have been compromised by malicious programmes (such as worms, viruses, and so on) on two separate occasions. On the first occasion 80 machines were affected; on the second 10 machines. The malicious programmes were removed as soon as practicable, and did not have a significant impact on the day-to-day running of the department's operations.

Habitats Directive: Natura 2000 Sites

The Earl of Selborne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many Natura 2000 sites have been assessed on a site-specific basis by the Environment Agency to evaluate their status in accordance with the habitats directive; and how many of the remaining Natura 2000 sites will be assessed on this basis.

Lord Bach: The responsibility to evaluate the conservation status in accordance with the EC habitats directive lies with the relevant nature conservation agency. The Environment Agency has developed a staged process, to assess and remove, where appropriate, the impacts of the activities that it regulates to a timetable agreed with Defra and the Welsh Assembly Government.
	Of the 425 Natura 2000 sites in England and Wales, the Environment Agency's investigation and assessment work has been concluded on 53 sites, including the 39 sites which have the potential to be most damaged by Environment Agency regulated activities. Some 131 additional assessments are due to be completed in the next few months, with all remaining assessments completed by 31 March 2008.

Habitats Directive: Natura 2000 Sites

The Earl of Selborne: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Environment Agency intends, in accordance with the Habitats Directive, to restrict existing abstraction rights on Natura 2000 sites which have been subject to a generic assessment as opposed to a site-specific assessment undertaken by their own personnel.

Lord Bach: Any necessary changes to existing permissions for water abstraction which pose a risk to Natura 2000 sites, will be based upon a site/permission specific assessment carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Conservation Regulations (Natural Habitats, &c.) 1994. These assessments are undertaken with due regard to statutory advice from the relevant Nature Conservation Agency.

Heathrow Airport

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the European Union Transport Directorate intended to downgrade the security status of Heathrow Airport in January unless immediate measures were implemented; and if so, what were the reasons given.

Lord Davies of Oldham: As airports in the UK are not given a security status, no issue of downgrading, by the European Commission or any other body, can arise. Deficiencies identified by security inspections, whether conducted by the European Commission or under the UK national aviation security programme, are required to be rectified, and for security reasons are not made public.

Housing: Recycled Capital Grant

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total amount of capital receipts from shared owners staircasing up their equity share in 2004–05; and how many units were involved; and
	How much recycled capital grant was spent by registered social landlords to fund investment in refurbishment so as to bring existing housing stock up to the decent homes standard in 2004-05; and
	How many units of affordable housing for (a) rent, and (b) sale were built with funding generated by recycled capital grant in 2004–05.

Baroness Andrews: Registered social landlords (RSLs) can spend or commit the recycled grant on projects that would be eligible for social housing grant within three years or repay the grant to the Housing Corporation. The Housing Corporation has provided the following information.
	In 2004–05, shared owners increased their equity stake in 3,109 units. This resulted in some £59 million being placed in the recycled capital grant fund of RSLs.
	In addition, almost £5 million was spent from the RCGF in 2004–05 to fund re-improvements to stock. Information is not available on how much of that amount was purely for bringing homes up to a decent homes standard.
	In the same year, 331 social rented units and 428 low-cost home ownership units were completed using funding from RCGF or a combination of the RCGF and funding form the Housing Corporation's approved developer programme.

Iraq: Casualties

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the most recent figures for the total number of Iraqis who have been killed or injured since the coalition's invasion in April 2003.

Lord Triesman: There is no entirely reliable assessment of the number of Iraqis killed or injured in this period. Estimates vary according to the methods used. We believe that the Iraqi authorities are best placed to provide such figures. The Iraqi Ministry of Health has released figures covering the period from 5 April 2004, when collation of statistics began, to 5 April 2005. According to these figures, 6,629 Iraqis were killed and 28,838 injured during that period. This figure includes all Iraqis, including civilians, Iraqi security forces and insurgents. The Iraqi Government have not yet published comprehensive figures for the period beyond April 2005. The Iraq Body Count, which relies on media reporting, currently estimates that at least 28,636 civilians have been killed since March 2003. But reliance on media reporting cannot give an entirely accurate portrayal of civilian casualties in Iraq.

Israel and Palestine: Customs Duties

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the withholding from the Palestinian Authority of customs and other duties collected on behalf of the latter; and, if so, with what result.

Lord Triesman: Withholding customs revenue payments will have a negative impact on the interim Palestinian Authority's ability to function. On 30 January, the Quartet (EU, UN, US and Russia) called on the international community to support the interim Palestinian Authority's measures to stabilise public finances.
	Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv raised the withholding of customs revenues with the Israeli Prime Minister's Office on 15 and 22 February. The Israelis continue to discuss what should be done with Palestinian tax revenues. But for now the revenues, while still being collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, remain frozen.

Land Registry for Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have any plans to conduct a review of the working of the Land Registry for Northern Ireland; and
	Whether they plan to privatise the Land Registry for Northern Ireland as part of the review of public administration.

Lord Rooker: The Government expect to be able to make a further announcement of plans arising from the review of public administration in the near future. This announcement will cover the Land Registry for Northern Ireland, along with other executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Mental Health

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What targets have been set regarding the establishment of mental health early intervention services since 1997; and whether, and to what extent, those targets have been met.

Lord Warner: The National Health Service Plan published in 2000 set a target to establish 50 early intervention (EI) teams in England by December 2004. The target was achieved. At March 2005 there were 109 EI teams in England.
	The NHS Plan envisaged these teams would serve 7,500 young people a year between 2003 and 2006. Some 6,820 people were served over this period at December 2005. We do not expect to reach this target by December 2006 but a recovery plan has been put in place and we expect the target to be reached no later than March 2009.

Mozambique

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the Department for International Development's current priorities in their development support for Mozambique; and
	What are the Department for International Development's current projects in Mozambique.

Baroness Amos: DfID aid in Mozambique is programmed to support the government of Mozambique to deliver their PARPA (Mozambique's poverty reduction strategy) objectives, in particular the priorities set out in the Government's performance assessment framework. Improving the quality of our and partners' aid and supporting civil society to increase accountability are also current priorities.
	The government of Mozambique's performance assessment framework can be accessed on DfID's website at www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/africa/mozambique.asp.

Mozambique

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will provide financial support for the United Nations millennium project office in Mozambique to co-ordinate donations and to implement the Paris declaration within the Ministry of Planning and Development, including a donor and project integrated database.

Baroness Amos: DfID is not planning to provide funding to the United Nations millennium project office in Mozambique to implement the Paris declaration within the Ministry of Planning and Development. The development and implementation of the database referred to will be jointly funded by the United Nations development programme (UNDP) and the European Commission. This is one part of a larger area of work being taken forward by the UN-led Paris declaration working group, of which DfID is an active member.

Mozambique

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will provide financial support for the United Nations millennium project office in Mozambique to facilitate consideration of the millennium development goals needs assessment and the development of a 10-year action plan, aligned with the new United Nations development programme integrated package of services and United Nations joint programming.

Baroness Amos: DfID is not planning to provide funding to the United Nations millennium project office in Mozambique to facilitate consideration of the millennium development goals needs assessment and the development of a 10-year action package.
	The government of Mozambique are currently finalising their second PARPA (Mozambique's poverty reduction strategy) which will run from 2006–09; in this the Government have set ambitious targets for indicators of human development which would put them on-track for the majority of the millennium development goals. DfID, along with 17 other donors, is providing poverty reduction budget support to support the achievement of these targets.

Mozambique

Viscount Waverley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will provide financial support for the United Nations millennium project office in Mozambique to facilitate the implementation of 10 pilot millennium villages and to bring in market, private-sector and employment concepts and opportunities.

Baroness Amos: DfID is not planning to provide funding to the United Nations millennium project office in Mozambique to facilitate the implementation of 10 pilot millennium villages. Our support to the private sector is in the form of funding and policy dialogue facilitated through the provision of poverty reduction budget support and through a number of country and regional programmes aimed at improving the business environment in Mozambique.
	More information about DfID's programme in Mozambique is available on DfID's website at www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/africa/mozambique.asp.

NHS: Coronary Care

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many coronary angiography procedures were carried out in each strategic health authority area in England in each of the two most recent years for which figures are available.

Lord Warner: The information requested is given in the following table.
	
		Number of coronary angiography procedures carried out in English strategic health authorities
		
			  2003–04 2004–05 
			 Q01   Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire HA 7,263 7,265 
			 Q02   Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire HA 945 2,543 
			 Q03   Essex HA 2,530 3,570 
			 Q04   North West London HA 10,982 9,929 
			 Q05   North Central London HA 3,731 3,921 
			 Q06   North East London HA 6,170 6,152 
			 Q07   South East London HA 8,971 8,724 
			 Q08   South West London HA 4,965 4,987 
			 Q09   Northumberland, Tyne & Wear HA 4,357 4,041 
			 Q10   County Durham and Tees Valley HA 3,287 3,434 
			 Q11   North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire HA 3,586 4,085 
			 Q12   West Yorkshire HA 5,788 5,861 
			 Q13   Cumbria and Lancashire HA 4,591 4,746 
			 Q14   Greater Manchester HA 8,538 8,519 
			 Q15   Cheshire & Merseyside HA 6,606 6,664 
			 Q16   Thames Valley HA 3,867 4,319 
			 Q17   Hampshire and Isle Of Wight HA 4,758 5,041 
			 Q18   Kent and Medway HA 425 1,133 
			 Q19   Surrey and Sussex HA 5,439 6,530 
			 Q20   Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire HA 5,571 5,980 
			 Q21   South West Peninsula HA 7,024 5,345 
			 Q22   Dorset and Somerset HA 3,593 3,818 
			 Q23   South Yorkshire HA 4,177 4,212 
			 Q24   Trent HA 3,043 3,606 
			 Q25   Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland HA 5,086 5,114 
			 Q26   Shropshire and Staffordshire HA 3,324 3,259 
			 Q27   Birmingham and the Black Country HA 8,237 8,273 
			 Q28   Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire HA 3,151 3,828 
			 Total 140,005 144,899

NHS: Finances

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which primary care trusts in England are currently operating with a financial deficit.

Lord Warner: The forecast outturn position for 2005–06, as submitted by National Health Service organisations (strategic health authorities, primary care trusts and NHS trusts) at the mid-year point (month six), is available in the Library and can be found on the Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/FreedomOfInformation/ClassesOfInformation/fs/en.

NHS: Finances

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which primary care trusts in England currently owe money to their respective local authority.

Lord Warner: The information requested on the primary care trusts in England that currently owe money to their respective local authority is not held centrally.

NHS: Muckamore Abbey Hospital

Baroness Blood: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it is proposed to transfer the management of Muckamore Abbey Hospital to the new Northern Trust on its inception; and, if so, for what reasons.

Lord Rooker: Establishment orders for the five new health and social services trusts, announced as part of the review of public administration, have been prepared and issued for consultation. The draft establishment order for the new Northern Area Trust proposes that it should assume responsibility for Muckamore Abbey Hospital. This is intended to promote linkages with the community services in the area in which the facility is situated. The proposal will, however, be reviewed in light of views which are expressed during the current consultation process by interested stakeholders including staff and service users.

NHS: Overspends

Lord MacKenzie of Culkein: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any posts held by (a) infection control nurses; (b) continence nurses; (c) palliative care nurses; (d) nurses specialising in HIV; or (e) diabetes nurse facilitators have been deleted or will be deleted as a consequence of overspends at the Kingston Primary Care Trust.

Lord Warner: We are advised by South West London Strategic Health Authority that no decisions have yet been made about staff reductions by Kingston Primary Care Trust as part of a restructuring process. Proposals are currently out for consultation and a decision will be made when the responses to the consultation have been considered.

Northern Ireland: Peace Funding

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of Peace I and II spendings were subject to allocation according to need with respect to the total geographical allocation of spending in Northern Ireland.

Lord Rooker: The figures are as follows.
	Peace I
	A key aim of the Peace I programme was to target social need and in total over 60 per cent. of funds were distributed to designated disadvantaged areas. The ex-post evaluation stated that Peace I achieved a pronounced skewing of resources towards disadvantaged areas. Just under 22 per cent of total Peace I funds in Northern Ireland were distributed by district partnerships (one in each district council area) according to need based on deprivation intensity and population size.
	Peace II
	One of the Peace II programme's five horizontal principles is targeting social need/impact on poverty and all projects are assessed on the basis of how effectively they target the social and/or economic needs of areas, groups and sectors disadvantaged by the conflict. Recent research on the distribution of funding has stated that the allocation mechanisms of the Peace II programme have successfully targeted funds at disadvantaged areas. Just under 16 per cent of total Peace II funds available in Northern Ireland were distributed by the 26 local strategy partnerships (successors to the district partnerships) according to need based on deprivation scale, deprivation intensity and population size.

Northern Ireland: Restorative Justice

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of whether restorative justice schemes are operating outside the scope of police supervision and participation in republican areas of Belfast; and
	Whether they have made an assessment of whether restorative justice schemes are operating outside the scope of police supervision and participation in loyalist areas of Belfast; and
	Whether they have made an assessment of how many restorative justice schemes in Northern Ireland (a) have full police participation, and (b) are known to operate as community schemes that preclude police participation.

Lord Rooker: The Government have set out the standards and safeguards that should be observed in the draft guidelines that were published for consultation on 5 December. These guidelines make clear that schemes—which are currently privately funded and unregulated—should have an acceptable and appropriate relationship with the criminal justice system including the police.

Northern Ireland: Restorative Justice

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it is illegal to impose a restorative justice scheme which precludes police participation; and, if so, what is the penalty for such an offence.

Lord Rooker: As with all criminal offences or potential criminal offences, it would be for the PSNI, the Public Prosecution Service and the courts, fulfilling their proper statutory roles, to determine whether any aspect of the operation of a community-based restorative justice scheme is in breach of the law.

Northern Ireland: Restorative Justice

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the lines of accountability in respect of restorative justice schemes in Northern Ireland; and whether, in the event that a case proves unsuitable for resolution by this means, any court referral is subsequently precluded.

Lord Rooker: Community-based restorative justice schemes are currently privately funded, voluntary organisations operating in an unregulated fashion. In future the Government would like to see all such schemes working within the mainstream criminal justice system.
	To this end, the Government are seeking to ensure that the proper standards and safeguards are observed, and published draft guidelines for consultation on 5 December.
	These guidelines make it clear that the Public Prosecution Service is the only body with responsibility for deciding how offences should be dealt with, in accordance with the test for prosecution.

Obesity

Earl Howe: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportion of National Health Service funds was allocated to the (a) prevention; (b) identification; and (c) management of obesity during each of the past five financial years.

Lord Warner: Information on the amount spent by the National Health Service on prevention, identification and management of obesity is not held centrally. However, the National Audit Office report, Tackling Obesity in England, published in 2001, estimated that the direct cost to the NHS of treating obesity and its consequences in 1998 was £480 million. As part of its inquiry into obesity, the Health Select Committee estimated that in 2002 the direct cost to the NHS was between £990 million and £1,225 million.

Obesity: Children

Baroness Howe of Idlicote: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many children aged under 12 and aged 12 to 16 were classed as obese or overweight in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for each of the past 10 years.

Lord Warner: The data are not available for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The main source of data on the prevalence of obesity and being overweight is the Health Survey for England (HSE). We are not able to specify how many children are actually classed as obese or overweight but are able to supply an estimate of the prevalence of obesity and being overweight among children aged two to 15. Furthermore, we are able to provide a breakdown of obesity and overweight prevalence only for children aged two to 10, 11 to 15 and two to 15. The available information uses the estimated obesity and overweight prevalence results from the HSE for 1995 to 2003.
	The results in the following table show obesity and overweight prevalence for children by sex, aged two to 10, 11 to 15 and two to 15 using the national body mass index (BMI) percentile classification. The 2003 data which are presented are the most recent available.
	
		Overweight and obesity prevalence trends for children, by age and sex, England, 1995–2003 -- (National BMI percentile classification) Children aged two to 15 (%)
		
			 BMI status 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
			 Boys 
			 2–10 
			 Overweight 12.9 13.8 13.1 14.6 14.1 13.6 15.6 13.3 14.7 
			 Obese 9.6 11.0 11.1 11.4 16.1 12.2 13.5 15.2 14.9 
			 Overweight including obese 22.5 24.8 24.3 26.0 30.2 25.8 29.1 28.5 29.6 
			 11–15 
			 Overweight 13.4 14.9 12.7 14.7 14.9 10.0 14.1 14.4 14.4 
			 Obese 13.5 13.8 15.6 16.3 16.9 18.8 18.8 19.8 20.4 
			 Overweight including obese 26.9 28.6 28.3 30.9 31.8 28.9 32.9 34.2 34.8 
			 2–15 
			 Overweight 13.1 14.1 13.0 14.6 14.4 12.4 15.0 13.7 14.6 
			 Obese 10.9 11.9 12.7 13.0 16.4 14.5 15.5 16.9 17.0 
			 Overweight including obese 24.0 26.1 25.7 27.6 30.8 26.8 30.5 30.6 31.6 
			 Girls 
			 2–10 
			 Overweight 12.6 11.0 12.0 12.5 13.5 11.6 14.0 13.1 13.4 
			 Obese 10.3 10.2 10.7 11.8 13.0 11.8 12.7 15.8 12.5 
			 Overweight including obese 22.9 21.2 22.6 24.3 26.5 23.3 26.7 28.9 25.9 
			 11–15 
			 Overweight 13.9 13.5 15.4 15.7 13.7 14.4 17.5 15.1 16.0 
			 Obese 15.4 15.0 16.2 17.5 15.2 18.1 17.7 19.2 21.9 
			 Overweight including obese 29.3 28.5 31.6 33.2 28.9 32.6 35.2 34.3 37.9 
			 2–15 
			 Overweight 13.1 11.8 13.1 13.6 13.5 12.7 15.2 13.9 14.4 
			 Obese 12.0 11.8 12.4 13.8 13.7 14.2 14.5 17.1 16.1 
			 Overweight including obese 25.0 23.6 25.5 27.4 27.3 26.8 29.7 30.9 30.5 
			 Bases (weighted) 
			  
			 Boys 
			 2–10 1,261 1,418 2,007 1,336 633 570 1,035 2,364 876 
			 11–15 658 714 1,056 645 343 306 618 1,381 533 
			 2–15 1,918 2,132 3,063 1,981 977 877 1,653 3,745 1,410 
			 Girls 
			 2–10 1,266 1,365 2,082 1,216 628 523 1,094 2,290 897 
			 11–15 635 649 987 656 322 318 605 1,346 547 
			 2–15 1,900.9959 2,014 3,069.004 1,872 950 841 1,699 3,636 1,444 
		
	
	Notes:
	Prevalence based on the UK National BMI percentile classification. Bases have been weighted for non-selection.
	Source:Health Survey for England Department of Health.

Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006: Explanatory Notes

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they will produce the Explanatory Notes on the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 to assist in the understanding of this Act.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Explanatory Notes on the Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006 were published on 7 March.

Railways: Franchises

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the specification for the new south-west of London rail passenger franchises includes a requirement to introduce driver-only operation.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The specification for the south-west franchise does not include a requirement to introduce driver-only operation.

Railways: Freight

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Under what circumstances relating to cessation of rail freight services through the Channel Tunnel the current United Kingdom operator, EWS Railway, would be required to hand back to the British Railways Board the following assets purchased by that company for use on Channel Tunnel rail freight services—(a) class 92 electric locomotives; (b) rail freight terminals; (c) other rolling stock; (d) other assets; and
	What arrangements they have made on behalf of the British Railways Board to prepare to take back assets from EWS Railway purchased for the purposes of operating Channel Tunnel rail freight services in the event that these services cease to operate.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The obligations of EWS Group regarding freight services through the Channel Tunnel are set out in various agreements with the British Railways Board. If there are material or persistent breaches of the operator's obligations under these agreements or other circumstances—for example, liquidation or inability to pay debts—then the Secretary of State will have an option to acquire such assets as are necessary for the operation of rail freight services.
	During the absence of such breaches, no arrangements have been made for the Secretary of State to exercise this option.

Railways: Oxford to Bedford

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish the report commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister from Knight Frank on the future of the east-west rail link between Oxford and Bedford; and, if so, when.

Baroness Andrews: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has provided growth area funding to Buckinghamshire County Council, on behalf of other local authorities and stakeholders, to carry out a study of options for improving east-west links, including restoration of railway passenger services from Bedford to Oxford and to Aylesbury, alongside other options. The future potential of this line was an important issue raised in the Milton Keynes-South Midlands sub-regional strategy. The local authority consortium expects to publish the study, which has been carried out by Steer Davies Gleave, very shortly.

Religious Hatred: Cartoons

Lord Monson: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, following the recent cartoon controversy, they will take steps within the appropriate European Union institution to establish which group procured and circulated the more explicit cartoons of the Prophet which were not published in any European newspaper.

Lord Triesman: EU Foreign Ministers discussed the recent publication of cartoons in a number of European and other media, and reactions in the Muslim world, at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 27 February 2006. Council conclusions acknowledged and regretted that these cartoons were considered offensive and distressing by Muslims across the world. Foreign Ministers underlined that freedom of expression is a fundamental right and an essential element of a democratic discourse, with an independent judiciary as a safeguard mechanism, but highlighted that freedom of expression should be exercised in a spirit of respect for religious and other beliefs and convictions.

Ritalin

Baroness Greenfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the black market in Ritalin.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: While Ritalin has a legitimate medical use, the Government recognise its potential for misuse and as a consequence it is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 as a class B drug, together with amphetamines, and is placed in Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 which places the greatest restriction for medical use, as well as safe custody requirements. The Government are aware of anecdotal evidence of a "black market" and misuse, particularly by young people, but have not made any national assessment. Inappropriate use of Ritalin, including sharing or selling, in a school setting should be dealt with in line with school drug policy.

Somalia

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the United Nations budget for the Extraordinary Session in Baidoa of the Somali Parliament which was elected in October 2004 by delegates in Nairobi but had yet to meet within the national territory; and whether they will propose that a similar amount be allocated to the Parliament of Somaliland, which was elected in free and fair elections and maintains the rule of law in Somaliland.

Lord Triesman: The Extraordinary Session of the Transitional Federal Parliament in Baidoa was an important step forward in the Somali peace and reconciliation process. It was welcomed by the UN and the EU. A final assessment of the cost has not been completed, but a budget of the order of US $3.3 million, including for substantial work to upgrade administrative and meeting accommodation, has been envisaged.
	There are no plans to provide similar operational funds to the Somaliland Parliament, but the recent elections were largely funded by the international community including the UK. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also provided £35,000 towards the costs of electoral observation missions. The Somaliland Parliament will also benefit from a substantial EU funded parliamentary support programme. The Speaker of the Somaliland Parliament has visited the UK to witness the opening of the Welsh Assembly and learn about our parliamentary practice.

Sport: Work Permits

Lord Pendry: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many work permits have been issued for overseas professional sports men and women in each year since 1997; and in which sports the players have been employed.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The total number of work permits issued for overseas professional sports men and women between November 1999 and 31 December 2005 are shown in the attached table. Data prior to November 1999 are unavailable.
	
		
			 Occupation Code 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Total 
			 American football player 0 67 67 8 17 59 0 218 
			 Basketball player 13 92 75 75 105 91 75 526 
			 Boxer 1 16 23 9 18 19 19 105 
			 Cricket player 0 355 409 524 507 421 328 2,544 
			 Cricket player/coach 0 0 0 0 0 58 121 179 
			 Football player 13 73 53 49 52 49 49 338 
			 Gymnast 0 4 2 1 0 2 0 9 
			 Hockey player 2 4 1 7 6 7 14 41 
			 Ice hockey player 7 77 64 82 61 45 50 386 
			 Ice skater 0 4 1 0 0 0 1 6 
			 Jockey 0 4 8 1 5 6 7 31 
			 Jockey (work rider) 1 6 16 5 3 1 2 34 
			 Kabaddi player 0 0 0 0 0 72 81 153 
			 Lacrosse player 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 10 
			 Motor sports driver 4 28 19 18 19 13 17 118 
			 Polo player 1 26 53 105 101 104 100 490 
			 Racquet sport player 0 3 7 10 3 4 1 28 
			 Rugby league player 76 107 51 50 50 36 48 418 
			 Rugby union player 15 53 62 68 35 42 52 327 
			 Snooker player 0 15 17 18 15 1 7 73 
			 Speedway 0 27 37 34 31 29 10 168 
			 Water sports related occupation 0 3 1 3 3 4 6 20 
			 Wrestler 1 15 0 0 1 8 4 29 
			 Total 134 989 996 1,067 1,032 1,071 992 6,251

Sudan

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made to the Government of Sudan concerning the alleged destruction of schools and medical centres in Greater Khartoum; and, if so, what replies they have received.

Lord Triesman: Khartoum state and the capital are host to around 4 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) from across Sudan. The IDP population has increased since the 1980s, in both camp and non-camp environments, and presents the Khartoum authorities with significant concerns for urban planning. In March 2004, the Government stepped up a process of demolitions and interruption of essential services as a way of moving IDPs to new sites. We have made clear that, while we acknowledge the right of the Sudanese authorities to replan their urban environment, the process must respect international human rights conventions.
	We have no reports of recent destruction of schools and medical centres in Greater Khartoum. The UK and international community have been working closely with the Government of Sudan to ensure that their treatment of IDPs is compliant with international human rights conventions. The UK has funded a number of projects in this regard, including providing an expert to work with the Khartoum authorities on settlement and replanning in Khartoum state. The majority of the interventions in Khartoum state under the UN's 2006 Workplan for Sudan will focus on providing essential services for IDPs. The UK is providing £40 million towards this workplan.

Sudan: Abduction

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What reports they have received about the Committee for the Eradication of the Abduction of Women and Children (CEAWC) in Sudan; how many victims have been returned to their families in the past two years; and whether the Department for International Development will provide further resources to encourage family reunion and prosecutions.

Baroness Amos: The Sudanese Committee for the Eradication of Abduction of Women and Children (CEAWC) returns victims of abduction during Sudan's civil wars to their families and area of origin. In the report of the 93rd Session of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) of 31 May to 16 June 2005 representatives of the government of Sudan claimed that CEAWC has returned 11,000 from an estimated number of 14,000 victims of abduction, with 7,500 of these returns taking place over the previous year. At the 2004 ILO session the government of Sudan reported that CEAWC had returned 728 people over the preceding year. International observers have been unable to accurately verify these figures. Since January 2006, UNICEF and the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) monitored the return of over 300 people through CEAWC, and will continue to work with CEAWC, particularly in relation to concerns about provisions for reintegrating those returned back into society.
	The Department for International Development is providing £5 million towards the International Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC) work in Sudan in 2006. As part of its programme the ICRC is working to reunite families separated during the conflict. At present, the Department for International Development has no plans to fund CEAWC directly.

Taiwan: National Unification Council

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in relation to the impact on the United Kingdom's relations with the People's Republic of China, they support the decision of the government of Taiwan to abolish the National Unification Council in Taipei.

Lord Triesman: We are very concerned about the recent decision made by Taiwanese leader Chen Shui-bian to cease the functions of the National Unification Council and application of the national unification guidelines. We believe that this decision is not helpful to maintaining stability and peaceful development of cross-strait relations.
	The Government fully support the EU presidency statement issued on 1 March to that effect. This can be found at www.eu2006.at/en/News/CFSP Statements/March/0101TaiwanStraits.html.
	Our long-standing position on Taiwan remains unchanged; that is, we acknowledge the position of the Chinese Government that Taiwan is a province of China and recognise the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of China.
	We urge both sides to avoid unilateral measures that might raise tension. Our view is that the Taiwan issue is one to be settled by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. We welcome efforts by both sides to lower tensions and to find a mutually acceptable basis for resumption of peaceful dialogue.

Vehicles: Alternative Fuels

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What incentives they offer to car manufacturers to extend the warranty for diesel-run vehicles for the use of fuels with more than a five per cent biofuel component; and
	Whether the uptake of grants for conversion of vehicles to liquefied petroleum gas has been limited by warranty implications; and
	Whether they will offer advice to consumers to assist them in choosing manufacturers who will extend a warranty to cover alternative fuels.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Government do not offer any incentives to vehicle manufacturers to warrant their vehicles to run on fuels containing more than 5 per cent biofuel. The Government are, however, encouraging the European Commission to amend the relevant fuel quality standards so as to allow higher percentages of biofuel to be blended into regular petrol and diesel. The Commission has confirmed in its recent biofuels strategy (available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/biomass/biofuel/com2006–34–en.pdf) that it will review the current standards during 2006, with a view to increasing the 5 per cent biofuel inclusion limit. Any adaptations or modifications to a vehicle are likely to have an impact on the vehicle's warranty. This is likely to be a factor which many people take into account in deciding on whether or not to convert their vehicles to run on liquefied petroleum gas. The Government do not, however, have any detailed information on the extent to which it has affected the market. Advice on the warranty implications of conversions is available from, and best provided by, vehicle manufacturers and the vehicle conversion industry.

Zimbabwe: Failed Asylum Seekers

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What provision is made for assisting failed asylum seekers from Zimbabwe to obtain paid employment or social security during the period in which they have to remain in the United Kingdom because of the conditions now obtaining in Zimbabwe.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Although the Immigration and Nationality Directorate is not currently enforcing returns to Zimbabwe, voluntary returns, including by failed asylum seekers, continue as normal. The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal did not find that failed asylum seekers who returned voluntarily to Zimbabwe would be at risk and we therefore expect them to return voluntarily. Unsuccessful asylum seekers from Zimbabwe who appear to be destitute and who are unable to leave the United Kingdom immediately are eligible for support under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if they meet the criteria set out in the Immigration and Asylum (Provision of Accommodation to failed Asylum Seekers) Regulations 2005. Those who have signed up for voluntary return with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) will normally satisfy the conditions for Section 4 support. It would not be right to permit failed asylum seekers to work as this would put them in a more favourable position than those still awaiting a decision on their claim who do not have permission to work.